Repair to torn off bracket

[goboatnow]

Hey gang,

Had a bit of a mishap yesterday and tore this bracket off.



What is the best way to reseat and repair this? There is some gel coat damage as can be seen here.



I was thinking about filling it in with MarineTex, sanding smooth, drilling new holes and reattaching. What say you?

Thanks

 

[psneeld]

More background on the initial install might help as in a better repair to something that may happen again.

Could it easily happen again or a freak accident?

 

[goboatnow]

I wouldn't call it a freak accident, I would call it a freak who had an accident.

I had a line attached to this that was attached to the boom winch to guide the dinghy. As I was raising the boom I didn't realize I had no slack on the line and tore it out. I should have been paying more attention. I don't expect to load it that much again. Live and learn.

 

[FlyWright]

Can you get to the backing plate or nuts/washers?

Tell us lot more about your f-up....errrrrr.....accident! We love to play Monday morning quarterback!

EDIT: Concurrent post to your explanation above.

 

[goboatnow]

There's no backing plate, just machine screws into the fiberglass.

 

[psneeld]

No wonder it tore out.

You could oversize the holes, marine tex in some nuts and then screw into the nuts. I would also use something like 4200 as more of an adhesive to help.

But I would probably do a completely different, more involved and sturdier repair for a pad eye...you never know what it might be needed for in a pinch.

 

[goboatnow]

No wonder it tore out.

You could oversize the holes, marine tex in some nuts and then screw into the nuts. I would also use something like 4200 as more of an adhesive to help.

But I would probably do a completely different, more involved and sturdier repair for a pad eye...you never know what it might be needed for in a pinch.

What's 4200?

Thanks

 

[psneeld]

A marine seslant/adhesive less feared than 5200 by mortal men.

 

[cappy208]

Look carefully. I bet there are (or were) a backing plate, washers and nuts on those bolts. It is possible that an aluminum backing plate was glassed in behind, and the pad eye was screwed into the aluminum. BUT.... often that is shortcutted by an installer. They may be vibrated off (common occurrence) or in worst case not installed properly. These should be bolted with nylon lock washers and either wide washers or a backing plate of un compressible material behind them.

Regarding the finish, remove the loose bits of glass and sand the area. Go buy white epoxy. Using masking tape make a shape slightly larger than the damages round areas. Mix the epoxy up and let it sit for a few minutes to start to gel up. then paste it on to the spot where the cracks and flakes were. if you have to, make a 'dam' out of masking tape under the site so you don't drip epoxy all over. You don't need much epoxy, just enough to cover the cracks, working it INTO the cracks and the surrounding area.

When the epoxy cures you can sand it smooth with 120, 200 then 400 sandpaper. Drill out the holes again, and install the padeye again. Buy a new pad eye!

If (and I doubt this is true) there is no way to reach behind the pad eye, then you can use the next sized self tapping SS screws. Make sure you get the right size and type at the marine store to fit flush and even in the new pad eye. But they run the risk of coming back out with vibration. Self tapping screws have great shear strength, but so-so pull out resistance especially to long term constant pulling like this is subject to. The way yours pulled out indicates pull out, not shear. Machine screws (bolts) are most definitely NOT appropriate for this to have no nuts on back.

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
I see no reason to buy a new pad eye. With an appropriately hard metal surface (anvil for example) that eye can be restored to perfectly serviceable condition within a short period of time unless it cracks during reformation in which case a new eye would be warranted.

 

[FlyWright]

I'd cut a slot from hole to hole with a multi-tool, then insert a predrilled SS backing plate with fiberlock nuts attached with 5200. Fish it into place with monofilament fishing line. Fill the void with 5200 like real men do.

Throw that bracket back on after straightening or replacing and she'll be stronger than before.

As they say in the auto business, that dent will pound right out!!

 

[kulas44]

I agree that a backing plate would be optimum. SS fender washers would be next best. In all probability it had neither and will be next to impossible to retrofit. This little fitting was not meant to hold much. As to the proper way to repair the gell coat and fill the hole,,,,use the appropriate sized countersink bit to taper the hole and fill with epoxy thickend with plaster of paris. Personally I would redrill it and use the correct sized SS wood screw. Bolts would be my second choice.

 

[Capt.Bill11]

Forget all the backing plate/nut nonsense unless you really foresee putting a high load on it in the future or you can get to the underside easily.

Just drill out the holes oversize, fill the hole with epoxy deing carefully to avoid leaving any voids, drill & tap the hole and then bed the pad eye with 4200 or 5200. You could drill out the holes in the pad eye and go up a size in screws if you want.

What other use does it have anyway?

 

[goboatnow]

Forget all the backing plate/nut nonsense unless you really foresee putting a high load on it in the future or you can get to the underside easily.



Just drill out the holes oversize, fill the hole with epoxy deing carefully to avoid leaving any voids, drill & tap the hole and then bed the pad eye with 4200 or 5200. You could drill out the holes in the pad eye and go up a size in screws if you want.



What other use does it have anyway?

It won't have heavy loads in the future because sometimes I learn from my mistakes. Not always, just sometimes.

I'm going with drilling the holes out and filling them in with epoxy. I'll report back.

Thanks guys

 

[jwilsail]

If it were my boat, I would repair the glass with epoxy resin and mat, spot repair with gel coat, replace fitting with new, bed the new screws with 4200. In the future, you might consider attaching a fitting with something that will break before causing such damage.

 

[FF]

IF you can borrow a HD rivet puller I can send you SS structural rivets that will work as well as anything else.

 

[Peter B]

IF you can borrow a HD rivet puller I can send you SS structural rivets that will work as well as anything else.

I agree FF. I was thinking it leant itself to straightening the slightly bent eye base, then a couple of decent sized pop-rivets, and Bob's y'uncle

Incidentally, I think there is backing plate, because those are small threaded bolts, not screws. They are blunt ended, not self-tapping, thread too fine, so unlikely just screwed into the fibreglass for mine...but if they were just screwed in, that was a weird type of screw to use. However, if into a backing plate, then there was little purchase for it to pull out like that.

 

[TDunn]

I would remove all loose fiberglass. After that I would fill the holes and surface with epoxy thickened with structural filler (either silica or microfibers). After the epoxy sets, sand it flush and redrill the holes. If you have access to the back of the surface use through bolts and a backing plate or at least fender washers. If you don't have access to the back of the surface, drill and tap the holes and use fine thread machine screws. Fine threads will give more pull out resistance than coarse threads. Bed the installation with 3M 4000, NOT 4200 or 5200. Both 4200 and 5200 will change color when exposed to sunlight and look bad. 4000 is UV stabilized and will stay white. It is almost as strong as 4200. Clean up excess 4000 with alcohol.

 

[HiDHo]

 

[dhmeissner]

Read this:
Re-Bedding Deck Hardware With Bed-It Butyl Tape Photo Gallery by Compass Marine How To at pbase.com

Hey gang,

Had a bit of a mishap yesterday and tore this bracket off.

View attachment 46730

What is the best way to reseat and repair this? There is some gel coat damage as can be seen here.

View attachment 46731

I was thinking about filling it in with MarineTex, sanding smooth, drilling new holes and reattaching. What say you?

Thanks

 

[Capt.Bill11]

I agree FF. I was thinking it leant itself to straightening the slightly bent eye base, then a couple of decent sized pop-rivets, and Bob's y'uncle

Incidentally, I think there is backing plate, because those are small threaded bolts, not screws. They are blunt ended, not self-tapping, thread too fine, so unlikely just screwed into the fibreglass for mine...but if they were just screwed in, that was a weird type of screw to use. However, if into a backing plate, then there was little purchase for it to pull out like that.

There was no backing plate/nuts or some of the threads on the screws would have stripped off as the screw was pulled through the plate/nut. As you can see in the picture the threads are intact.

Properly drilled and tapped fiberglass with machine screws can make for a stronger mounting than using wood screws.

As far as pop rivets go, since fiberglass is not that dense, the body of the rivet can swell all the way up its full length before the shaft pops off. Then you have a bad rivet and the hole is now over sized as well. There are good reasons you very rarely see pop rivets used in fiberglass unless the rivet can pass all the way thru the glass and you can put a washer over the tip.

 

[FF]

"then a couple of decent sized pop-rivets,"

Pop rivets are NOT structural , and are fairly weak, even the SS versions..

Aircraft and truck / bus industry rivets are structural.

Visit google to see the difference in tension and sheer